(2 credits) This class will develop the students’ interpersonal competencies of spiritual care or pastoral care and counseling, focusing on the foundational skills most often used by those in service roles such as chaplains, therapists, counselors, dharma instructors, and community leaders. Students will learn and practice current therapeutic skills such as compassionate presence, reflective listening, bearing witness, spiritual assessment, and explore concepts of suffering, spiritual struggle, and supporting others in crisis and to create change. Students will develop self-awareness while offering pastoral/spiritual care, and may begin to discover how their personal histories and spiritual traditions inform their practice of caregiving/ministry. This class may offer practical training in communication and contemplative skills for effectively, compassionately, and sustainably engaging in helping relationships with others. The introductory course is intended for both MA and MDiv students and community members or CE students.